Sheet material dispenser



May 17, 1960 T. T. SANO SHEET MATERIAL DISPENSER Filed May 29, 1959 m N Nw e w 4 5W Patented .Mayl'l, 1960 United! States 2,936,536 7 SHEET MATERIAL nrsrnusnk QTomitaro T. Sano, Reedley, Calif. Application May 29, 1959,Serial 816,833 7 3 Claims craze 43 Thisinvention-rel'ates to' animproved dispenser for sheet material, such as roll paper. The primary object ofthe invention is to e provide a more practical and efiicient device of the-kindindicated, which has superior; and more easily used sheet material cutting means, which serves also as means for positioningmaterialyfora subsequent cut, and which has means for preventing sidewise rolling of 'asheet material roll therein, even after the roll has .been consumedto' a fraction of its starting-diameter.- 1 1 -Anothertobject =of the -invention-is torprovide a device ofthe characterindicated abovewhich has a-hinged cover having a depending. flangeon its;free edge, provided with a'cutting edge, the. =,fl ange servingin the closed position of the cover, to hold aj length-;.of-,sheet material-between itself and the front of the -container of=the device, long r and preferably somewhat deeper.

24 hasarear longitudinal edge 26 which is connected by hinge means, preferably in the formof longitudinally spaced hinges 28, to the upper edge of the back wall 14. The cover wall 24 has a front longitudinal edge 30 which reaches slightly forwardly beyond the front wall 16, when the cover is in closed position, as seen in Figure 3, and has on and along the front edge 30 a relatively deep depending flange 32, which has a serrated lowerfree cutting edge 34. As seen in Figure 3, the flange 32 is of a depth at least half the height of the front wall 16;

The container 10 and the cover are made of relatively stiff sheet material having some resiliency and having-sufiicient rigidityandresistance to distortion in service, that the container will not be substantially collapsed by o'perationof the cover 20, and that-,the rightangular relationship between the cover wall 24 and the flange 32 will not be substantiallyaltered-in service. A

centered pivoted latch hook 35 can be provided on the container: front wall 16, below the flange 32, for engagementwith a keeper eye 36 provided on the flange 32, for securing the cover 20 in closedpositionon the container The. container'bofttom wall 12 has means thereon, within .the container 10, for resisting crosswise or side toside rolling,.in the containenof afroll 38, of-such as paper enough'toprovideanadequate handrholdfona dispensing position, and whereinspring means isprovided for swing ing the cover to open position whenrtheqcover isnormally started toward openposition..11, r

, Otherimportant objects;and-advantageous features of I the invention'will be apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying-drawings, wherein, for ,purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings: i f I Figure 1 is a schematic front perspective view of a toweling and thelike, even-.after the diameter of the rollhas become a fraction of the starting diameter, asa result of dispensing of material from, the roll, Iheqroll means can take the form of anupstanding or longitudinal rounded ridge 740,- spaced from the back wall :14 and the front- -wall 16, and preferably inthe formIofi-{an up? ward indentation of the bottom Wall. The indentation 40' is spaced closer td the backwall :14 than to.-the-front wall 16, as'seen in Figure 3, so. that the roll SS-will always be'larger in diameter than .the distance between theindentation and the back wall, ,and be thereby prevented from ever lodging between the indentation and the back-wall '14, and soas to be thereby forced to oc: cupy a forward position in a roll seat 49 formed be; tween the indentation and the front wall' 16. In such forward position, the roll 38,-andthe strip 42 coming off the bottom of the roll, are held against the front wall, instead of merely reaching at an angle from the roll tothe upper edge 'of the front wall 16. v

The indentation 40 is preferably formed to. havearcw ate re'ar and'top portions 44, -46 and a forwardly decline device of the invention, showing tin-operator's left and right hands severally applied to;depress;-the cover-from open position and tear sheetrnaterial along the cutting ge;

Figure showing the;cover inopenposition;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and,

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated dispenser comprises a horizontally elongated, rectangular open-to'p container 10, having a bottom wall 12, a back wall 14, and a front wall 16, extending between fullheight end walls 18, and a cover 20 for its open top.

The walls of the container 10 are all of the same height and have a common upper edge 22. The cover 20 com- 2-is a ,frdnt, perspective viewj of sa .device prises a top wall 24 of the full length of the container,

ing, substantially fiat forward ramp portion;48, so jthat, asseen in Figure 3, a fu1l roll38 rests uponflthe top portion 46, and a depleted roll restsupon the ramp portion 48, as 'shown in Figure 4. 1 As also shown in Figure 4, a 'dispensing'operationis prepared for andrinitiated by pulling thestrin 42 olf the underside of the roll 38, over the upper edge of the frontwall 16 and down along the front side of the front wall 16, with-the cover 20 in openposition. For holding the ;cove 1g -2Q..up -in-open position, f spring means is provided, which preferably comprises a vrtically elongated, upwardly and forwardly bowed spring leaf 50 which is fixed at its lower end, as indicated at 52,

to an intermediate height part of the front of the back wall 14. The spring leaf has a free upper end 54 reaching above the upper edge 22 of the container 10, and bearing slidably against an intermediate part of the undersurface 56 of the cover wall 24. More than one spring 50, such as one ateach of the containers 10 can be provided, if desired.

A dispensing operation having been prepared, as described above, and shown in Figure 4, the operator pulls down on the terminal edge portion 43 of the strip 42, until the desired length of strip 42 has been pulled out, whereupon the cover 20 is depressed with one hand against the resistance of the spring leaf 50, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, until the cover flange 32 comes down and frictionally clamps the strip 42 btween itself and the front side of the co'ntainer front wall 16, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, whereatthe dispensed length of strip 42 is torn off along the cutting edge 34 with the other hand.

Because of the designedly deep flange 32 and the frictional retention of a corresponding long length of strip 42 therebeneath along the container front wall 16, opening of the cover 20, preparatory to a following dispensing operation, leaves said long length of strip as an adequate handhold for pulling out more strip. Opening of the cover 20 is done manually, as by pushing up on the keeper eye 36, until the frictional grip of the flange 32 .on the strip 42 on the front of the container is sufliciently reduced to enable the spring leaf 50 to complete the opening of the cover and hold it open for a following closing of the cover.

While there has been shown and described herein a preferred fo'rm of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet material dispenser comprising an elongated open-top container having a bottom wall, a back'wall, a front wall, and end walls, a cover comprising a top wall of the length of the container and of a width slightly greater than that of the container, said cover top wall having a rear longitudinal edge hinged on the upper edge of the back wall and a forward longitudinal edge reaching slightly forwardly beyond the front wall, a depending flange on and extending along said forward edge, said flange being of a depth to reach relatively far downwardly below the upper edge of the front wall when the cover is in closed position and having a free lower cutting edge, said flange being of limited resilience and being resistant to distortion out of a right-angular relation to the cover top wall, a sheet material roll within the container having a strip of material pulled over the upper edge of the container front wall and down along the front side of the front wall, said cover flap being rearwardly tensioned toward the front wall so as to frictionally hold the strip between itself and the front wall, and an upstandinglongitudinal non-roll ridge on the container bottom wall, said ridge being spaced from the back wall at a distance less than the roll and spaced from the front wall at a distance to provide a seat for the roll between the ridge and the front wall.

2. A sheet material dispenser comprising an elongated open-top container having a bottom wall, a back wall, a frontv wall, and end walls, a'cover comprising a top wall of the length of the container and of a width slightly greater than that of, the container, said cover top wall having a rear longitudinal edge hinged on the upper edge of the back wall and a forward longitudinal edge reaching slightly forwardly beyond the front wall, a depending flange on and extending along said forward edge,

said flange being of a depth to reach relatively far downwardly below the upper edge of the front wall when the cover is in closed position and having a free lower cutting edge, said flange being of limited resilience and being resistant to distortion out of a right angular relation to the cover top wall, a sheet material rollwithin the container having a strip of material pulled over the upper edge of the container front wall and down along the front side of the front wall, said cover flap being rearwardly tensioned toward the front wall so as to frictionally hold the strip between itself and the front wall, and upstanding longitudinal non-roll ridge on the container bottom wall, said ridge being spaced from the back wall at a distance less than the roll and spaced from the front wall at a distance to provide a seat for the roll between the ridge and the front wall, said ridge comprising an upward indentation of the bottom wall, said indentation having convex arcuate rear and top portions and a flat forwardly declining forward ramp portion. 7

3. A sheet material dispenser comprising an elongated open-top container having a bottom wall, a back wall, a front wall, and end walls, a cover comprising a top wall of the length of the container and of a width slightly greater than that of the container, said cover top wall having a rearlongitudinal-edge hinged on the upper edge of the back wall and a forward longitudinal edge reaching slightly forwardly beyond the front wall, a de pending flange on and extending along said forward edge, said flange being of a depth to reach relatively far downwardly below the upper edgeof the front wall when the cover is in closed position and having a free lower cutting edge, said flange being of limited resilience and being resistant to distortion out of a right-angular relation to the cover top wall, and a sheet material roll within the container having a strip of material pulled over the upper edge of the container front wall and down along the front side of the front wall, said cover flap being rearwardly tensioned toward the front wall so as to frictionally hold the strip between itself and the front wall, an upstanding longitudinal non-roll ridge on the container bottom wall, said ridge being spaced from the back wall at a distance less than the roll and spaced from the front wall at a distance to provide a seat for the roll between the ridge and the front wall, cover opening spring means mounted within the container and operatively engaging the cover top wall, said spring means serving to move the cover to and hold the cover in upwardly hinged position, upon manual release of the frictional engagement of the cover flange from the roll strip on the front wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,593,529 Gibson et a1. July 20, 1926 1,659,985 Stroesser Feb. 21, 1928 1,961,511 Sinclair June 5, 1934 2,271,135 'Crebbs Jan. 27, 1942 2,776,052 Stevens Ian. 1, 1957 

